Rush for solar power to increase Queensland electricity prices

THE rush on solar power that led more than 100,000 Queenslanders to sign up for rooftop panels could end up costing households extra on their electricity bills.

Charges are added to every electricity bill to fund incentives for people with solar power.

The State Government had estimated the feed-in tariff would add $75 to power bills in the southeast this year, but that is now predicted to blow out, rising to as high as $100 as a result of a spike in applications last week before the feed-in tariff for solar being slashed.

Eco-Kinetics state general manager Torben Struck said he lodged 1100 applications on behalf of customers in the past fortnight.

An Energex spokesman said applicants for 5kW systems or smaller were not expected to be hit with problems caused by a solar power overload in their street after the Government moved to exclude large systems from the scheme.

Clean Energy Council policy manager Darren Gladman said householders who missed the deadline were better off installing a system where they were using the majority of electricity themselves.